Frontier Town Traveller's Haus - Lobby

[canisaries]

“Forgive what I’m about to say, but hmmm…” Lyra took a deep breath, braced herself for what might be a sharp yell, and then… she unleashed her accusation as an hissed whisper and a pointed stare, her ears flat against her back. “What the actual heck?!”

She stomped her foot and snorted, feeling the building tension evaporating from her body, then sat back down, her nose wiggling as shame crossed her face. “Sorry. That… that was uncalled for,” she murmured meekly, rubbing her forepaws together, then sighed somberly.

Andre chuckled hollowly. "That's nothing. Laura slapped me when she found out."

“But… I just don’t get it. To hold so much anger and hatred into yourself, and deciding to relieve it by lashing out at others, it’s… that’s not healthy.” A deep sadness etched itself in her expression, her highly empathetic heart aching. “You… realize that in your quest of hunting evil men, you’ve become a worse and more dangerous version of them, dontcha? And if there’re other people who are equally disgusted with evil men, then it’d be only fair for them to apply your logic and be disgusted with you?”

Andre sighed. "Yeah... Laura pointed that out, too. I think my response was that I knew this was the case, but it didn't matter. That I was in the right, and thus another vigilante trying to stop me would have been in the wrong, because I was just and my victims were evil. I've since come to realize that I should have never thought I had the right to decide who lives and who dies. Maybe someone else has that right, but not me. because I..."

He bit his lip, but decided to share anyway.

"The thing that convinced me that I was in the wrong was something I remembered from back home. You see, someone over there has put a kind of spell on me that makes me unable to tell lies. And under this spell, I tried to tell him that I derived no pleasure from my murders. I wasn't able to. And I realized that I'd been lying to myself all this time about this being purely a venture of justice. No. I... was a sadist." He paused. "Do you know what that is?"

 

[Cresselia92]

Andre chuckled hollowly. "That's nothing. Laura slapped me when she found out."

Lyra simply blinked. That was the best reaction she could think of, even if she quietly commented to herself: Not surprising. I know folks who would’ve done much, MUCH worse than that!

"The thing that convinced me that I was in the wrong was something I remembered from back home. You see, someone over there has put a kind of spell on me that makes me unable to tell lies. And under this spell, I tried to tell him that I derived no pleasure from my murders. I wasn't able to. And I realized that I'd been lying to myself all this time about this being purely a venture of justice. No. I... was a sadist." He paused. "Do you know what that is?"

Oh dear! Whenever she thought Andre had already showcased the worst skeleton of his closet, he always found another secret that somehow was even worse!

What was next? Revealing his master plan to become a politician, rig some elections, and finally become a dictator who orders the murders of inmates left and right while gleefully watching feeds of torture chambers?

I mean, it’d be some good nightmare fuel for a dystopian novel… as long as it stayed a novel, that’s it.

Once again, she kept that thought strictly to herself. It’s not like it would have helped Andre and the others. (Although, was there a way to actually help Andre with building new bridges? She still held firmly onto that belief because rough patches always worked out in a way or another, but…)

Lyra nodded slowly, readying herself for yet another onslaught of horror. “Yeah. I… I’ve met such kinda people in the past. Folks who didn’t mind ordering their Pokémon to attack other humans just to see the fear in their eyes and relish in the adrenaline spike born from the sensation of dominance. It didn’t matter whether they were adults… or kids like me.” She looked away, wondering for a moment if to continue, before reluctantly finishing her sentence, “People with little to no empathy.”

Was that the crux of the matter? Did Andre lack empathy and love toward other humans? Was that the reason he caused so much hurt to others? Maybe as a terrible and misguided attempt to fill a ravenous void that wouldn’t be satiated in any way?

“I’m… not sure what else to say about this matter because, well, I’m no psychologist or anything. Not yet, at least.” She chuckled nervously, working hard to keep her mood as high as she could. “But there’s one question I gotta ask, though.”

And Lyra stared deep into Andre’s eyes, with a gaze that showed a mystical wisdom that was beyond her physical age and that betrayed her usual carefree aura. Analytical pupils that aimed straight for the window of the soul.

“Do you genuinely care about the other Wayfarers and their safety, to the point of being willing to risk your life for them?”

 

[canisaries]

“I’m… not sure what else to say about this matter because, well, I’m no psychologist or anything. Not yet, at least.” She chuckled nervously, working hard to keep her mood as high as she could. “But there’s one question I gotta ask, though.”

And Lyra stared deep into Andre’s eyes, with a gaze that showed a mystical wisdom that was beyond her physical age and that betrayed her usual carefree aura. Analytical pupils that aimed straight for the window of the soul.

“Do you genuinely care about the other Wayfarers and their safety, to the point of being willing to risk your life for them?”

Andre, at first, looked away out of discomfort when Lyra stared at his eyes, but then forced himself to meet the gaze. Then she popped the question - whether he truly cared about the Wayfarers.

Andre had been adamant that he did before his entire trip of self-discovery, and then doubted it once he realized that he was not a good person and thus not necessarily someone who actually, genuinely cared about his fellow mon. But he'd spent more time thinking about it, and realized that the drive to help the Wayfarers had always stayed a constant. Sure, he'd been willing to lie to them and manipulate them in order to hide his secret, which wasn't great, but at no point had he jeopardized their goal (through any other way than involuntary incompetence), and the thought of it had always been deplorable. So, he was able to answer with confidence.

"Yes," he said. "I have always been committed to the Wayfarers' mission. Heck, I wouldn't be here otherwise."

 

[Cresselia92]

"Yes," he said. "I have always been committed to the Wayfarers' mission. Heck, I wouldn't be here otherwise."

Lyra brightened up at hearing his answer, a genuine smile returning to her face. That was the proof that Andre wasn’t truly irredeemable, even if she had never doubted that belief, anyway.

“Well! That’s reassuring to hear!” she chirped, clapping her paws and nodding serenely. “That means there’s still a tiny but good something inside your heart, even if you can’t see it yet.”

Her smile faltered, and she let out a sigh. “Still, we both know that goodwill isn’t enough. Your past is… extremely troublesome, and I can’t guarantee that the others will change their minds someday and look at you favorably, no matter how much you work to prove your desire to atone for your actions.”

Lyra paused, knowing well that those words were a tough pill to swallow, but she already had a prepared pep talk to sweeten the deal.

“Not everything’s lost, though! You can still have a more, huh, neutral relationship with them, at least? Yeah. Aim to that. You can’t force others to like you and put you on their nice list, but we can still keep a mostly professional attitude with each other. We’ve been summoned as a team for a reason,” she winked for extra encouragement, “so it hafta work in some way, no?”

 

[canisaries]

Lyra brightened up at hearing his answer, a genuine smile returning to her face. That was the proof that Andre wasn’t truly irredeemable, even if she had never doubted that belief, anyway.

“Well! That’s reassuring to hear!” she chirped, clapping her paws and nodding serenely. “That means there’s still a tiny but good something inside your heart, even if you can’t see it yet.”

Andre was happy to see Lyra bounce back from the depths of discomfort he'd dragged her into. He supposed that, too, was a sign that he wasn't all bad.

Her smile faltered, and she let out a sigh. “Still, we both know that goodwill isn’t enough. Your past is… extremely troublesome, and I can’t guarantee that the others will change their minds someday and look at you favorably, no matter how much you work to prove your desire to atone for your actions.”

Andre's expression darkened. "Mm. Yeah." It wasn't as if they all had very long left on Forlas, anyway (it seemed like that, even if he didn't know for sure), so his chances of making up with the other Wayfarers weren't great.

“Not everything’s lost, though! You can still have a more, huh, neutral relationship with them, at least? Yeah. Aim to that. You can’t force others to like you and put you on their nice list, but we can still keep a mostly professional attitude with each other. We’ve been summoned as a team for a reason,” she winked for extra encouragement, “so it hafta work in some way, no?”

"...Yeah. I guess that's what I should work towards. I mean, I'm certainly not gonna become best buds with Ben after the whole... thing I did. But I do hope he'll at some point be able to exist in the same room as me without feeling such awful loathing and fear. After all, it was never him that I wanted to hurt. If anything, I was hoping my act would be good for him in the long run with his abusive trainer out of the picture. But..." He sighed. "Yeah. Should have just left a tip to the pokémon abuse hotline and let it be."

 

[Cresselia92]

"...Yeah. I guess that's what I should work towards. I mean, I'm certainly not gonna become best buds with Ben after the whole... thing I did. But I do hope he'll at some point be able to exist in the same room as me without feeling such awful loathing and fear. After all, it was never him that I wanted to hurt. If anything, I was hoping my act would be good for him in the long run with his abusive trainer out of the picture. But..." He sighed. "Yeah. Should have just left a tip to the pokémon abuse hotline and let it be."

Lyra hummed contemplatively, her eyes narrowed slightly. "That's... asking quite a lot from him, y'know that?" She sighed and her voice tinged with sympathy. "I could hear the pain and venom in his voice through the Betey-Chat. He's deeply traumatized, probably even irreparably, and if you're too forceful in your attempt to coexist with him, then he'll most likely clamp up and think you're only trying to wash your conscience. To make him feel better about you so that you can feel better about yourself."

The Buneary crossed her arms and leaned back. "The only thing you can offer him for now... it's time. Some time to sort out his feelings, make some friends and acquaintances, and eventually have some meetings with him while accompanied by a third party? Someone who'll act as peacemaker and bridge?" She smiled a little. "I can volunteer if you wish. My grandparents have taught me many lessons, including how to help traumatized 'mons, so I could try something?"

Lyra blinked, a random thought popping into her mind, and she chuckled. "Or maybe you could become a necromancer and resurrect his Trainer! I bet he'd appreciate that plenty, even if he'd stay mad for, well, offing him to begin with!" She blinked again. "Although, huh, is that a thing here in Forlas? Is there a Ho-Oh here to ask them to spare some of their revival ash...?"

 

[canisaries]

Lyra hummed contemplatively, her eyes narrowed slightly. "That's... asking quite a lot from him, y'know that?" She sighed and her voice tinged with sympathy. "I could hear the pain and venom in his voice through the Betey-Chat. He's deeply traumatized, probably even irreparably, and if you're too forceful in your attempt to coexist with him, then he'll most likely clamp up and think you're only trying to wash your conscience. To make him feel better about you so that you can feel better about yourself."

Andre frowned. Maybe that actually was what he wanted here. Though... was there a way to tell? Weren't all "good" deeds ultimately done to ease the guilt inside oneself or to chase the joy that comes from seeing one's loved ones happy? Philosophically, Andre couldn't debunk that claim, but as a person, he just found it too cynical. To reduce people to algorithms trying to optimize for happiness was denying them their humanity. It didn't spell anything good for the concepts of good and evil, either.

The Buneary crossed her arms and leaned back. "The only thing you can offer him for now... it's time. Some time to sort out his feelings, make some friends and acquaintances, and eventually have some meetings with him while accompanied by a third party? Someone who'll act as peacemaker and bridge?" She smiled a little. "I can volunteer if you wish. My grandparents have taught me many lessons, including how to help traumatized 'mons, so I could try something?"

Andre sighed. "You're right. I have, of course, tried this, but he seems to want to stick with me anyway to 'keep an eye on' me, and trying to tell him to keep his distance could come across as me just trying to give myself more leeway to do whatever nefarious deeds he thinks I'm trying to do..." He trailed off.

Lyra blinked, a random thought popping into her mind, and she chuckled. "Or maybe you could become a necromancer and resurrect his Trainer! I bet he'd appreciate that plenty, even if he'd stay mad for, well, offing him to begin with!" She blinked again. "Although, huh, is that a thing here in Forlas? Is there a Ho-Oh here to ask them to spare some of their revival ash...?"

"Ah... hm." Andre gave a polite smile, though it came out pretty forced. "I don't know if those are a thing in your world, but in my world, death is final. Unless you turn into a ghost, but even then, people can't really fully agree on if that's really the person or just some kind of spectral echo with their memories but without... whatever it is that made that person that person. People don't know what that exactly is, either, or if it even exists." He paused. "Then again, Forlas calling me here by taking my soul seems to suggest souls as a concept are a reality. I'd already forgotten about that, really."